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Using Google Gemini With Roo Code

Roo Code supports Google's Gemini family of models through the Google AI Gemini API.

Website: https://ai.google.dev/

Getting an API Key​

  1. Go to Google AI Studio: Navigate to https://ai.google.dev/.
  2. Sign In: Sign in with your Google account.
  3. Create API Key: Click on "Create API key" in the left-hand menu.
  4. Copy API Key: Copy the generated API key.

Supported Models​

Roo Code supports the following Gemini models:

Standard Models​

  • gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20
  • gemini-2.5-flash-preview-04-17
  • gemini-2.5-flash-lite-preview-06-17
  • gemini-2.5-pro-exp-03-25
  • gemini-2.0-flash-001
  • gemini-2.0-flash-lite-preview-02-05
  • gemini-2.0-pro-exp-02-05
  • gemini-2.0-flash-exp
  • gemini-1.5-flash-002
  • gemini-1.5-flash-exp-0827
  • gemini-1.5-flash-8b-exp-0827
  • gemini-1.5-pro-002
  • gemini-1.5-pro-exp-0827
  • gemini-exp-1206

Thinking Models​

These models require reasoning budget to be enabled in Roo Code settings:

  • gemini-2.5-flash-preview-05-20:thinking
  • gemini-2.5-flash-preview-04-17:thinking
  • gemini-2.0-flash-thinking-exp-01-21
  • gemini-2.0-flash-thinking-exp-1219
info

Thinking Models: Models with :thinking suffix or "thinking" in their name are hybrid reasoning models that provide step-by-step reasoning capabilities. To use these models, you must enable the reasoning budget feature in Roo Code settings.

Refer to the Gemini documentation for more details on each model.

Configuration in Roo Code​

  1. Open Roo Code Settings: Click the gear icon () in the Roo Code panel.
  2. Select Provider: Choose "Google Gemini" from the "API Provider" dropdown.
  3. Enter API Key: Paste your Gemini API key into the "Gemini API Key" field.
  4. Select Model: Choose your desired Gemini model from the "Model" dropdown.

Advanced Features​

URL Context​

Gemini models can now access and analyze web content directly through URL context. This feature allows Roo to:

  • Read and understand web pages in real-time
  • Analyze documentation from URLs
  • Review online code repositories
  • Access current information from websites

Enabling URL Context​

  1. Open Roo Code Settings
  2. Navigate to the Gemini provider settings
  3. Enable "URL Context" option
  4. Save your settings

Usage Example​

Please analyze the documentation at https://example.com/api-docs and create a TypeScript client library based on the API specification.

Google Search Grounding​

Enable Google Search grounding to enhance Gemini's responses with real-time search results. This provides:

  • Up-to-date information from web searches
  • Fact-checking capabilities
  • Current event awareness
  • Enhanced accuracy for technical queries

Enabling Search Grounding​

  1. Open Roo Code Settings
  2. Navigate to the Gemini provider settings
  3. Enable "Google Search Grounding" option
  4. Save your settings

Usage Example​

What are the latest best practices for React Server Components in 2025? Please search for the most recent information.

Combined Usage​

Both features can be used together for powerful workflows:

Search for the latest Node.js security vulnerabilities and then analyze my package.json file to see if I'm affected. Also check the official Node.js security page for recommendations.

Tips and Notes​

  • Pricing: Gemini API usage is priced based on input and output tokens. URL context and search grounding may incur additional costs. Some experimental models are available for free. Refer to the Gemini pricing page for detailed information.
  • Model Selection: Choose models based on your needs:
    • Flash models: Faster and more cost-effective for most tasks
    • Pro models: Better for complex reasoning and analysis
    • Thinking models: Best for tasks requiring step-by-step reasoning (requires reasoning budget)
    • Experimental models: Latest features, may be free but less stable
  • Context Windows: Most Gemini models support large context windows up to 1,048,576 tokens, allowing for extensive code analysis and documentation processing.
  • Rate Limits: URL context and search grounding features may have separate rate limits. Monitor your usage to avoid hitting limits.
  • Privacy: When using URL context, be mindful of accessing private or sensitive URLs. Ensure you have permission to analyze the content.
  • Search Quality: Google Search grounding works best with specific, well-formed queries. Be clear about what information you need.